Thursday, March 3, 2011

The UN fears that Peru has become the leading producer of coca

Peru can be moved this year to Colombia as the world's most coca plantations if the trend of recent years continues, warned on Wednesday the International Narcotics Control Board (INCB). "The Board is concerned that the possibility of current trends in the period 2010-2011 Peru moves to Colombia as a major illicit producer of coca bush in the world, a place that had occupied that country for the last time in 1996," indicated in the World Drug Report of the INCB released in Vienna.

The total area planted with coca bush in South America in 2009 fell for the second consecutive year, thanks to the considerable reduction of 16% recorded in Colombia, where it was planted on 68,000 ha. In the whole region in 2009 there were 158,000 hectares planted, 8,800 less than the previous year, representing a decrease of 5%.

By contrast, in Peru and Bolivia increased the fields for the fourth consecutive year. In Bolivia increased by 1%, to 30,900 hectares, while in Peru by 7%, to 59,000 hectares. This development makes the INCB praise Colombia and Bolivia and Peru ask for more efforts to curb the illegal plantation growth in recent years.

The Board notes that between 2005 and 2008, cocaine seizures in the world was above the annual benchmark of 40% of world production of that drug. Thus, in 2008 and information from 123 countries were estimated global cocaine seizures amounted to 360 tons, which reduced the supply from the 865 tons of potential global production to 500 tons.

The country is seized more cocaine is Colombia, with 200 tons seized in 2009, the INCB is the increase registered in Ecuador, the second highest number of seizures with 53.4 tons, after tripling the number of seizures compared to 2008 . With regard to cocaine, experts warn a growth in the Southern Cone countries, including Argentina, Brazil, Chile and Uruguay, and, while not offering more detailed data, specify that this region is already between 10 and 20% world consumption of the drug.

Also detailed in a regional survey among 15 to 16, the highest prevalence rate was recorded in Uruguay, with 3.7%, followed by Chile with 3.21%, Argentina with 3.16% , with Bolivia and Ecuador 2.12% 1.52%. For all South American cocaine prevalence is between 0.9 and 1% among 15 to 64 years.

The INCB, citing the World Customs Organization, says that Venezuela is one of the main countries of departure and sent cocaine seized in Western Europe, but other nations such as Brazil and Ecuador are increasingly important as place of departure. Venezuela's efforts to combat the phenomenon, as the installation of a radar system to intercept aircraft, is applauded by the INCB, which explains that in 2009, involved 30 aircraft and destroyed 48 illegal landing tracks.

The Board also notes that more and more often the "narcos" semi-submersible vessels use more power and sophistication to transport drug shipments. Thus, while between 1993 and 2007 involved 19 of these boats, only between 2008 and 2009 have confiscated 34, including a well-equipped submarine capable of carrying 14 tons of cocaine.

Finally, the INCB reports that about 29% of the more than two million American injecting drug users are infected with HIV. Those affected are concentrated in the Southern Cone, and the Board states that "only in Argentina, almost half of people who inject drugs are HIV positive."

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